Gazetteer of the state of Maine, Part 18

Author: Varney, George J
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Boston Russell
Number of Pages: 648

USA > Maine > Gazetteer of the state of Maine > Part 18

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Brunswick's oldest newspaper, the "Brunswick Telegraph," is edited and published by A. G. Tenney, of the Bowdoin class of 1835.

* Among the many eminent names associated with the college, not one is more worthy than that of Phebe Ann Jacobs, mentioned in Prof. E. C Smith's " Three Discourses. During many years Phebe was a servant in the families of three college presidents, but came to be treated in many respects as their equal. She had once been a slave, but was long known in college circles for her humble but absorbing zeal in religion. One year the meeting in February for colleges was appointed at six o'clock in the morning. Rev. Dr. Adams, her pastor, went at five o'clock to the vestry to make suitable preparations. He says. " Phebe was there before me, had been two hours on the doorstep, waiting for the room to be opened, meanwhile lifting up her soul in prayer ! Precious seed, sown in faith and watered with tears beneath that wintry sky! How it bore fruit a hundred-fold in her pastor's strengthened heart ; in many souls renewed ; in spirits made strong to brave the mis- sionary's life: on labors on the hillsides of New England, on the prairies of the west, in the great metropolis, wherever hearts then replenished have carried the messages of God's grace! "

BOWDOIN COLLEGE, BRUNSWICK,

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GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

The other is the Brunswick Herald, conducted by J. Dike, a recent gradu- ate. The press of Joseph Griffin, so long associated with the college, has more than a local reputation. Numerous journals and newspapers have been at one time and another issued by him, and up to 1873, he had published works of the different presidents of the college to the number of seventy-eight. In addition to the noted men of Brunswick already mentioned we must name Hon. Robert P. Dunlap, Joseph McKeen, Esq., William S. Perry, and Professors Parker Cleaveland, Thomas C. Upham and William Smyth.

Brunswick was first settled by Thomas Purchas some time previous to 1628. His later dwelling appears to have been on Stevens's or New Meadow River, near the head of sloop navigation. He engaged exten- sively in the salmon and sturgeon fishing on the Androscoggin River, having a fish-house between the falls and " The Landing " at Bruns- wick village, and another at Lisbon Falls. The one in Brunswick was of stone. In this business he was associated with a London house. He also engaged in trade with the Indians. Before the breaking out of the first Indian war, in 1675, he had become a large producer of corn ; and, after the flight of his family, the crews of a sloop and a boat, which had come to his store-house on the shore of New Meadows River to carry away the corn, were attacked by the Indians while loading. In 1631 he married Mary Gove, said to be the cousin of Sir Christopher Gardner, who was for some years in Massachusetts and Maine as the agent of Gorges. Gardner was sent back to England by the Massachusetts authorities in 1631 on charges which were not sustained. Within two years he was again in New England, spending a part of the time with Purchas, at Pejepscot. It appears that the patent of land on the Androscoggin to Thomas Purchas and George Way was issued during Gardner's presence in England. This tract was four miles square on the river Pejepscot toward the sea. In 1636-8 Purchas was one of the councillors in Gorges' government of Maine. In 1639, fearing the Indians, he placed himself under the pro- tection of the Massachusetts Bay government. In 1654 he submitted to the New Plymouth government on the Kennebec, and was one of the two assistant councillors and justices under that government in that part of Maine. In 1663-4 he was one of Archdale's justices under the King's commissioners. At the date of his first marriage he was about fifty years of age. His second wife was Elizabeth Williams, of Essex County, Massachusetts. He died in Salem in 1676, aged 101 years, leaving four children. His heirs sold his share in the patent (ex- cept a certain reserve near the present village of Brunswick) to Richard Wharton, a merchant of Boston. Wharton also purchased Mericoneag Peninsula (Harpswell) of the Indians. He soon after purchased of Warumbee and other Androscoggin chieftains a quit claim of the terri- tory four miles on each side of the river to the Twenty-Mile Falls, now Lewiston Falls. From Wharton, the patent and the purchase from the Indians passed into the hands of a number of gentlemen (mostly residing in Boston) who associated themselves under the name of the Pejepscot Proprietors; and from these and General Waldo, who had purchased the reserve of the Purchas heirs, the present titles are de- rived.

After the desolation of the first Indian war, the settlement was revived ; but it was again destroved in the spring of 1690. The settle-

145

BUCKFIELD.

ments were resumed in 1713-14; and in 1715 a stone fortification named Fort George was erected near the falls by the government. There was also a block-house furnished with small cannon near Mare (Sea) Point about this time. Yet in Lovewell's war, in 1722, the dwell- ings were a third time reduced to ashes. The town was again re- peopled in 1727. In 1735 there were thirty or forty men in town. In 1790 the census was 1,387. The town was incorporated in 1737, taking the name of one of the twelve States of the German Confederation. The first minister of the town, Rev. Robert Rutherford, was settled at this time. He was succeeded by Rev. Robert Dunlap, a graduate of the University of Edinburgh, who was ordained to this pastorate in 1747 by a presbytery in the French Protestant church of Boston. There are now in the town churches of the Congregationalists, Methodists, Baptists, Unitarians, Universalists, Episcopalians, Free Baptists, and Roman Catholics. Brunswick village has excellent schools, graded from primary to high. In the town are twenty-five public school- houses, valued at $35,000. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $2,305, 806. In 1880 it was $2,684,374. The rate of taxation in the latter vear was 162 mills on the dollar. The population in 1870 was 4,687. In the census of 1880 it was 5,384.

Bryant's Pond, a post-office and railroad station on the Grand Trunk Railroad in Woodstock, Oxford County.

Buckfield is situated in the south-eastern part of Oxford County, having Sumner and Hartford on the north, Paris on the west, Hebron on the south, and Turner, in Androscoggin County, on the east. Its dimensions are about 8 miles east and west, and 5 north and south. The area is 2,323 acres. The Nezinscot, or Twenty-Mile River, is formed from the union of its east and west branches, at Buckfield Village near the center of the town, and passes out in a south-easterly course. North Buckfield, the other village, is on the west branch. Falls Brook, a tributary from the western part of the town to the west branch, has a picturesque fall not far from its mouth. The Buckfield and rumford Railroad passes through the town in a nearly north and south course, having a station at Buckfield Village. About one mile south of Buckfield Village is South Pond, about three fourths of a mile in length, and half a mile in width. Mud Pond and Jersey Bog lie near together in the eastern part of the town. Between these and the village is Federal Corner. There are more than a dozen isolated hills of considerable height in the town. The highest are Streaked Mountain which stands at the south-west angle of the town ; South Hill, in the south-east corner, North Hill, near South Pond ; Owl's Head Hill, south-west of the pond; and Dean's Hill, on the north side of the town. The surface, especially at the western part is quite uneven. Along the streams there is some fine alluvial land. The soil is generally deep and dark, good for grain and Indian corn. There are in the town several beds of magnetic iron ore, and a mine of yellow ochre has been opened. A limestone is also found yielding a fine quality of quicklime.

Nezinscot, or Twenty-Mile River, and its branches have several fine water-privileges, furnishing power for several saw, grist and other

146

GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

mills. The manufactures of the town are long lumber, shingles, staves, box-boards, flour and meal, shovel-handles, snow-shovels, hand- sleds, drag-rakes, brushes and brush blocks, powder-kegs, leather, harnesses, cutting-blocks, men's boots, etc. Buckfield Village is the principal centre of business, not only for this but for several adjacent towns.

The first attempts at settlements in this town were by Benjamin Spaulding in the summer of 1776. Abijah Buck and Thomas Allen moved in with their families during the spring following. Others joined them, until in 1785 they procured a survey of the town, and purchased it soon after, of the owner, the Commonwealth of Mass- achusetts, paying at the rate of two shillings per acre. The deed bears the date of November 13, 1788. Abijah Buck was agent of the pro- prietors in making the purchase; and this, together with the circum- stance that he and his brothers were large owners, led to the adoption of the name " Bucktown" for the plantation. In 1793 it was incor porated as Buckfield. Its first representative in the General Court was Enoch Hall. and the date was 1807. In 1816 great fires swept over this and other towns, doing great injury to the forests. The first preacher in Buckfield was probably Rev. Nathaniel Chase, who, having served until mustered out, in the army of the Revolution, made his way through the wilderness on foot, in search of a place to locate. The farm which he took up here has remained in the family, and is now occupied by his grandson. Mr. Chase was of the Baptist denomination and much respected among his people. He travelled and preached among the early settlers in Paris, Woodstock, Green- wood, and in other places. He left a large posterity, among whom are the well-known firm of Chase Brothers, nurserymen, of Rochester, New York. The Baptist denomination has remained the leading one in town, having its house of worship at the village. There was a Baptist society formed in the town as early as 1821, of which Elder Nathaniel Chase was in that year the minister. There are now in addition, Universalist, Methodist and Free Baptist churches. Seba Smith, author of the famous " Jack Downing Letters," and well known as a poet and journalist, was born in this town in 1782. Virgil D. Parris, a prominent politician in his day, a member of Congress for two terms, was a native of Buckfield. Hon. John D. Long, at this time in his second term as governor of Massachusetts, the son of Zadoc Long Esq., of this town, was born and spent most of his minority here.

Buckfield has twelve public schoolhouses, valued together with other school property, at $6,000. The value of estates in 1870 was $554,673. In 1880 it was $397,598. The population in 1870 was 1,494. In 1880 it was 1,379.

Buck's Mills, a post-office in Bucksport, Hancock County.

Bucksport is the westerly town of Hancock County, and its most northerly town on the Penobscot. It is beautifully situated on the east bank of the river at the " Narrows," forming a lovely picture, with its streets and houses rising on a gentle slope from the water. The summit of the hill is crowned by the buildings of the East Con-

147

BUCKSPORT.

ference Seminary, which, standing in bold relief against the sky, makes the most prominent figure of the village. The streets are very reg- ular ; for which the town is largely indebted to Stephen Peabody, Esq., one of the early citizens. Bucksport has the only railroad in the county, the Bucksport and Bangor Railroad, which, in the winter season, gives Bangor an open port. A railroad to Ellsworth is also projected. A bridge of stone and timber 650 feet in length, connects it with Verona, formerly Orphans' or Wetmore's Island, in the Penobscot. It is popularly said that Bucksport is 18 miles from everywhere, being that distance from Bangor, Ellsworth, and Castine. The centres of busi- iness are Bucksport Village, North and East Bucksport and Buck's Mills. The soil is uneven but not mountainous, and is beautifully diversified with ponds and streams. The principal elevations of land are Harding's and Picked Mountains, the first of which is 350 feet in height. The majestic stream of the Penobscot forms the western boundary ; its shore being fringed with a narrow village for almost the entire length of the town. The soil is chiefly clay and clay loam, and the principal crops are hay and potatoes. The business in which the largest capital is invested is shipbuilding. Other manufactures are lumber in its various forms, carpentry-trimmings, ship pumps, blocks, plugs, wedges and wheels, boats, cooper's-ware, carriages, leather, boots and shoes, stone work, etc.,

Bucksport was one of the six townships originally granted by the sovereigns, William and Mary, to David Marsh, of Haverhill, Mass., and 350 others, citizens of Massachusetts and New Hampshire whose title was confirmed in 1764 by the General Court of Massachusetts. In August, 1762, Col. Jonathan Buck, James and William Duncan, Richard Emerson, and William Chamberlain came to the place from Haverhill, Mass., and began the survey of the town. Col. Buck built a saw-mill upon Mill River, a small stream passing through the present village. Laughlin McDonald and his son Roderick, from Greenock, in Scotland, came in and took up lots the next year. In 1766-7, Asahel Harriman, Jonathan Frye, Benjamin Page, Phineas Ames and others came in and settled according to the condition of the grant, which gave to each actual settler 100 acres of land. The first preacher was Rev. John Kenney, who came in 1795. In 1803, Rev. Mighill Blood, became the first settled minister of the town. The village was partially burned by the British in 1779. Many of the inhabitants had previously been driven away by their incursions. The town was incorporated in 1792, as Buckstown, in honor of the leading citizen, Colonel Back. The name was changed to Bucksport in 1817. A post-office was first established in 1799. The Gazette of Maine, one of the earliest news- papers in the State, was published here in 1804. The Penobscot Bank was established in 1804, continuing six years. The town has now the Bucksport National Bank, with a capital of $100,000. Its public library contains about 1,700 volumes. Eminent among the later citizens of Bucksport, but now deceased, were John N. Swazey, Jotham Moulton, Joseph Lee, Stephen Peabody, Samuel M. Pond, Moody Pilsbury, Henry Darling, Enoch Barnard, and Rufus Buck. The town furnished 367 men for the Union forces in the late Rebellion, 66 of whom were lost. A beautiful monument of Scotch granite has been erected to their memory.

The East Maine Conference Seminary was established in the village

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GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

in 1851, and has done a good work for eastern Maine. Bucksport has three Methodist churches and one Congregationalist. The village schools are graded. The town has nineteen public schoolhouses, valued at $9,000. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $1,219,881. In 1880, it was $1,057,500. The rate of taxation in 1880 was $27,40 on $1,000. The population in 1870 was 3,433. In 1880 it was 3,047.

Bunker Hill, a post-office in Lincoln County.

Burlington is situated in the eastern part of Penobscot County, 45 miles north-east of Bangor. It is bounded on the north by Lincoln, west by Lowell, and on other sides by unnamed townships. It embraces an area of about 48 square miles. The bodies of water are Madagascal, Suponic, Eskutassis and Little Eskutassis ponds, all of which are head-waters of the Passadumkeag, The two latter lie on and near the western border, the second in the southern part, and the first in the north-eastern. The three first have an area of about two square miles each. The principal streams are the Passadumkeag, which crosses the south-westerly corner of the town and empties into the Penobscot, and the Madagascal Stream, tributary to the first. Sunday Hill, which has an altitude of nearly 2,000 feet above the sea, is the highest elevation of land. The bed rock is mostly granite. The soil is loam and loamy gravel, and yields good crops of hay. Much of the town is still covered with forest, consisting principally of maple, birch, beech, pine and spruce.

Burlington is on the stage line from Enfield, on the European and North American Railway. The extension of the St. Croix and Penob- scot Railroad is expected to pass through the town. The church edifice is used by the different societies in common. Burlington has seven public schoolhouses, and the school property is set at a high figure in the school reports. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $91,507. In 1880 it was $89,041. The rate of taxation in the latter year was 17 mills on a dollar. The population in 1870 was 553. In 1880 it was 536.

Burnham is the north-westerly town of Waldo County, dis- tant 30 miles from Belfast. It is bounded on the east by Troy and `Detroit, north by Pittsfield, west by Pittsfield and Clinton, and south by Unity and Unity Plantation. Sebasticook River forms the boun- dary line on the north. The town is about 8 miles in extreme length, north and south, and the same east and west through the middle. The surface is quite level, and rather swampy. The few hills hardly reach 100 feet in height. Twenty-five Miles or Unity Pond in the south-east part of the town is about 4 miles in length, and 3 in its greatest width. Its outlet discharges into Sebasticook River at Burnham Vil- lege, in the northern part of the town. The other village is Hutchin- son's Corner, situated a short distance from Unity Pond. The Belfast and Burnham Railroad passes along the western shore of Unity Pond, near Hutchinson's Corner northward to Burnham Village, where it joins the Maine Central.

Burnham Village has a large tannery, a lumber, and a shingle and stave mill, a shoe-factory, a brickyard, etc. The occupation of the in-

149

BUXTON.

habitants is principally agricultural. The soil, in general, is a clay loam. The largest crops are hay and potatoes.

Burnham was formerly called the Twenty-five Mile Pond Planta- tion. It was incorporated under its present name in 1824. Clinton Gore, on the north-west side, was annexed in 1873. Amongits valued citizens have been Dennis and Elias Milliken, Ephraim Hatch, and others.

Burnham has two churches, belonging to the Free Baptists and the Methodists. The town has ten public schoolhouses, and the total school property is valued at $3,000. The estates in the valuation of 1870 amounted to $175,007. In 1880 the amount was $204,248. The rate of taxation in the latter year was 2 per cent. The population in 1870 was 788. In 1880 it was 967.

Buxton is the most north-eastern portion of York County, having Gorham on its own north-east, Scarborough and Saco on the south-east, Dayton on the south, Hollis on the west, and Standish on the north-west. The town contains about 16,224 acres of land. Round Hill is the principal eminence in town. The surface is gen- erally level and weil suited for farming. Saco River forms the divis-

BONNY EAGLE FALLS.

ion between it and Hollis. The principal body of water is Bonny Eagle Pond, in the northern part of the town. It has an area of about 190 acres. The outlet of this pond affords two powers which are utilized by a saw-mill and a shingle-mill. There is also a saw and grist-mill on Little River near the centre of the town. The lower power on Saco

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GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

River in the town is at Union Falls, or Pleasant Point, where the Saco Water-Power Company in 1856 erected a good stone dam, affording a power sufficient for 40,000 spindles ; but as yet it is utilized only by a small saw and grist mill. Two miles above, at Salmon Falls, are saw-mills, with a capacity of turning out 4,000,000 feet of lumber an- nually. There are sites and sufficient power for many more mills. Clay and sand for bricks, and granite are near at hand. One and a third miles above are Bar Mills, where a narrow granite ledge nearly bars the passage of the water. The power is partially improved by heading, box and grist mills. Five miles above this are Moderation Falls, at the Village of West Buxton, where there are woolen, saw and heading mills. One proprietor at this place manufactures 7.000,000 feet of lumber annually. Clay and sand of excellent quality, and plenty of granite are near at hand. The woolen mills employ about 25 hands, and manufacture annually about 936,000 yards of cloth. One and a fourth miles above are Bonny Eagle Falls, with a power equal to 3,000 horse power, or 13,000 spindles for 11 hours a day. It is improved by a saw-mill with a capacity of turning out 4,000,000 feet of lumber annually.

There are four villages in the town, Salmon Falls, Bar Mills, West Buxton and Buxton Centre. The town was incorporated in 1772 being named by the first minister, Rev. Paul Coffin, for his native place in England. Previously to that date it had been known as Narra- gansett, No. 1, being one of seven lots assigned to the soldiers in the war against the Narragansett Indians in 1675. The number of soldiers was 840 ; and when the grant of No. 1 was made in 1728, nearly half were living. No attempt was made to settle the Township until 1740 or 1741, when Deacon Amos Chase, from Newbury, Joseph Simpson, Nathan Whitney, a Mr. Gage and a Mr. Bryant entered the plantation and began to fell trees and build log cabins. No one remained in 1745 when the French and Indian war commenced. It was not until the fall of 1750 that 7 men, with their families, commenced a permanent settlement near Salmon Falls. The dangers from the Indians were even then not wholly over. The season previous to moving in, these settlers had made some clearings and put in crops, mostly, it appears, on the river below Little Falls, whence they went to visit their openings occasionally to see if all was right. One day they found the door of their little fort open, which they had left shut. An experienced fighter of the Indians had told them that they should not approach and return by the same path; and they now heeded his ad- vice. After the war ended some Indians who came one day to trade told the settlers a party of Indians were hiding in the fort at the time the door was found open; and that they had ambushed their path the next day and missed them. At a later time while they were still living in the fort, the men being absent one day and a night, there was an alarm given that savages were approaching. Mrs. Elden, wife of the cap- tain, was quite equal to the occasion. She arraved herself in regi- mentals and taking a rusty sword, while the other women similarly donned male attire, arming themselves with old muskets and bayonets, whom Mrs. Captain Elden marshalled about the premises, giving orders in the most stentorian voice she could command, as if to officers and soldiers. This performance was repeated at intervals through the night and succeeding day until their husbands returned. The town

151

BYRON.

has two Congregational churches, three Free, one Baptist, and one Metho- dist. The first public school was established in 1761-2, under Mr., afterwards, Rev. Silas Moody. The number of school houses in town at this time is 17; and the school property of the town is estimated at $6,000. The valuation of real estate in 1870 was $829,899. In 1880 it was $666,901. The population at the same date was 2,546. In 1880 it was 2,230.

Byron is situated on the north-eastern side of Oxford County, forming an angle projecting into Franklin. On the south of it is Roxbury, on the west Andover; other townships surrounding are un- organized. In dimensions it is about 8 miles long by 6 wide. Swift River forms from its tributaries in the northern part, and runs south- ward through the east part of the town. The western part is largely drained by the numerous small streams that gather at the southern part in one stream, and empty into Ellis Pond. There are nine or ten mountains in the town; of which the double-peaked Mount Turk (local name Turk and Broad) is the highest, being nearly 3,000 feet. Other names are Whale's Back, Pleasant Mountain, Durham Hill and Hedge- hog Hill. Garland, or Little Ellis Pond, lies west of Mount Turk and Broad, and just beside the centre of the town. A portion of Ellis' Pond lies in the town near the south-west corner

Byron Post-Office is located on Swift River, south-west of Whale's Back Mountain. Above, on different powers, are two saw-mills. The nearest railroad is the Grand Trunk, with which it has connection by means of the stage from Andover to Bryant's Pond Station, 26 miles distant by road. It is about equally distant from Jay Station, on the Maine Central Railroad, with which it is connected by stage via Mexico. Byron is replete with wild scenery. The soil of the settled portion is quite good, yielding good crops of corn, potatoes, wheat, oats, etc. The forests of maple, birch, spruce and pine are still exten- sive.

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Gazetteer of the state of Maine, Part 18

Author: Varney, George J Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Boston Russell Number of Pages: 648

Author: Varney, George J
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Boston Russell
Number of Pages: 648